So I've had the camera for a couple of weeks. I've filmed about 5 commercials with it and brought it with me to a convention. There's plenty to like about the camera and one thing that really sucks.
The d5200 has a lot going for it. It's pretty good in low light. I think the live view through the HDMI looks great. It produces nice fluid motion when panning and the jello doesn't seem as bad as it looks through the camera. It's about the same as most cameras. Maybe slightly worse.
Battery life is fairly short so make sure to order multiple batteries. I got it with the kit lens which I could do without. I guess it will be nice for taking pictures.
The bad thing about this camera is the banding. I know there are a bunch of threads discussing the problem. I read them all before I purchased the camera. It's hard to figure out what to believe until you have a camera in your hands. I feel like it's a real issue and I am not a pixel peeper. You can live with it and work around it but it's kind of lame because it just doesn't seem like something you should have to deal with. I was going to buy multiple d5200s but will probably hold off.
The Nex5n actually looks better to me when I compared footage from the two shot at the same time. The codec isn't as good but the camera is a bit more forgiving if you don't get your lighting just perfect. The d5200 does have a sharper image. Plus, a much better live view. That's the one thing that screws the nex5n. Oh, and overheating which the Nikon doesn't seem to have an issue with.
So, it's a good camera and I enjoy using it. The price is fantastic for sure. I just hope they address the banding issue if at all possible. That would make it a home run,
Remember this is one mans opinion. I hope someone finds this useful.
I would also love to hear anyone's suggestions for profile settings that they think work well or minimize the look of the banding. I'm guessing the fix is to just crush the hell out of your black levels and to take your time with exact exposure. So, maybe ordering a light meter with the camera might be a good idea as well.
The d5200 has a lot going for it. It's pretty good in low light. I think the live view through the HDMI looks great. It produces nice fluid motion when panning and the jello doesn't seem as bad as it looks through the camera. It's about the same as most cameras. Maybe slightly worse.
Battery life is fairly short so make sure to order multiple batteries. I got it with the kit lens which I could do without. I guess it will be nice for taking pictures.
The bad thing about this camera is the banding. I know there are a bunch of threads discussing the problem. I read them all before I purchased the camera. It's hard to figure out what to believe until you have a camera in your hands. I feel like it's a real issue and I am not a pixel peeper. You can live with it and work around it but it's kind of lame because it just doesn't seem like something you should have to deal with. I was going to buy multiple d5200s but will probably hold off.
The Nex5n actually looks better to me when I compared footage from the two shot at the same time. The codec isn't as good but the camera is a bit more forgiving if you don't get your lighting just perfect. The d5200 does have a sharper image. Plus, a much better live view. That's the one thing that screws the nex5n. Oh, and overheating which the Nikon doesn't seem to have an issue with.
So, it's a good camera and I enjoy using it. The price is fantastic for sure. I just hope they address the banding issue if at all possible. That would make it a home run,
Remember this is one mans opinion. I hope someone finds this useful.
I would also love to hear anyone's suggestions for profile settings that they think work well or minimize the look of the banding. I'm guessing the fix is to just crush the hell out of your black levels and to take your time with exact exposure. So, maybe ordering a light meter with the camera might be a good idea as well.
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I'll be ordering a D7100 soon, and I guess as with the 7000 I'll consider it a stop-gap until something actually decent comes along. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the pictures I can make with it.